Total resource potential of the Luva, Snefrid South and Haklang finds could be 40-60 billion cu m of recoverable gas, according to StatoilHydro.

StatoilHydro has concluded the drilling of exploration well 6707/10-2S in the Norwegian Sea. Gas was confirmed in a reservoir with good production qualities.

The well was drilled in production licence 218, which is located southeast of the Luva gas find and 280 km west of Sandnessjøen in mid-Norway.

The purpose of the well was to confirm gas in reservoir rocks from the Late Cretaceous age in a prospect called Haklang. A 127-m long gas column was proven in a reservoir with good production qualities. Core drilling in the sandstone was carried out, and fluid and pressure samples were taken.

StatoilHydro makes gas discovery in Norwegian Sea

The size of the discovery is estimated to be between 8 and 14 billion standard cu m of recoverable gas.

A joint development of Haklang and the nearby Luva and Snefrid South discoveries will be considered. Luva was confirmed by BP in 1997.

“The total resource potential of these three finds is expected to be in the size of 40-60 billion cubic metres of recoverable gas,” said Øystein Michelsen, who is responsible for StatoilHydro’s activities on the Norwegian continental shelf. “This well is an important step in order to prepare for a new deepwater development in the Norwegian Sea.”

The well is the third exploration well in production licence 218, which was awarded in the 15th licensing round in 1996.

The well was drilled to a depth of 3,356 m below sea level and was completed in the Nise formation in Late Cretaceous rock. The water depth is 1248 m.

Well 6707/10-2S was drilled by the Transocean Leader, which is now drilling sidetrack well 6707/10-2A with the aim of exploring a deeper prospect in the same production licence.